Regenerative agriculture builds momentum in India to boost resilience, restore soil health

New Delhi: Regenerative agriculture is emerging as a practical pathway to restore soil health and strengthen India's agricultural resilience as land degradation increasingly threatens food security, a report said on Tuesday.

The joint report from Grant Thornton Bharat and the US-India Business Council (USIBC) argued that regenerative agriculture is moving beyond pilot projects as a practical pathway towards more climate-resilient farming systems.

About one-third of the country's land area or nearly 115-120 million hectares is estimated to be degraded, threatening agricultural productivity. Soil erosion remains a major challenge, with an estimated 4.8-5.3 billion tonnes of soil lost annually, along with nearly 8 million tonnes of plant nutrients.

The report highlighted growing momentum for regenerative agriculture across India, valued at approximately $62 million in 2025, expanding with support from government initiatives, private-sector investment and emerging carbon-credit programmes.

Scalable models are already taking shape in states including Andhra Pradesh, Sikkim, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

Technology is expected to play a critical role in accelerating adoption asaArtificial intelligence, IoT-enabled sensors, satellite imagery, remote sensing, blockchain and precision agriculture tools help farmers improve resource efficiency, strengthen traceability and enable more informed decision-making.

However, large-scale adoption will require overcoming challenges including fragmented landholdings, transition costs, limited technical awareness and evolving carbon-market frameworks.

The report recommended stronger public-private collaboration, greater investment in traceability technologies, improved access to finance, enhanced research systems, and a unified national framework to support measurable gains in soil health, water-use efficiency, biodiversity and carbon sequestration.

“India stands at a defining moment in its agricultural transformation. Regenerative agriculture offers an opportunity to enhance productivity and quality while restoring soil health, strengthening climate resilience and improving farmer livelihoods,” said Prof. Padmanand V, Partner & Agriculture Industry Leader, Grant Thornton Bharat.

“Realising this potential will require coordinated action across policy, technology, finance, advisory services and value chains. With the right ecosystem of incentives, innovation and partnerships, India can build a more sustainable, competitive and future-ready agricultural sector that delivers benefits for farmers, consumers and the planet,” he added.

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